Burning Rage
by BlackBlood23
Summary: You read all these stories about how Lucy is betrayed by Natsu; but what if Natsu is betrayed by Lucy? 7 years ago he left, heartbroken, and never looked back. But now, at the grand magic games, he comes back... but on a different team! How will Fairy tail cope when they find out about Natsu's new and, slightly scary, powers? NaZa, Dark! Natsu fanfic (Re-write of the original)


_Chapter 1:_

The man ran. Bony branches reached out, clawing at his face. His lungs were burning from excessive use, making his breath come out as raspy gasps. A bag slung over his shoulders.

He was in a valley. Towering trees hung over head, creating a thick canopy of wood. The ground was muddy and dead, no grass was growing anywhere, no leaves clung on to the trees. Everything was dead or dying, apart from a little shrubbery here and there. Ravens perched high above, within the shelter of the trees, peering down with beady eyes; the only animal, apart from insects, that lived in this god forsaken land. The night was clear and still, like the world was holding its breath. The stars shone like droplets of light in the piercing darkness. Steep, sleeping mountains were on the horizon, the tips enveloped in ice and snow.

The man continued to run, but slowed down to a more steady pace to avoid even more injury. The ground finally evened out so he could see more than just the stone walls the once trapped him. He glanced around, and spotted a pond out of the corner of his eye. Noticing how parched his sandy throat was; he ran towards it.

It was a simple place: a circular dent in the ground, filled with dark, near black, water. It was placed in a small opening; trees turned their noses up in disgust at the place, the mud around the place dry and cracked. A thick slab of rock grew out of the ground at the rim of the pond; if you could even call it that. It was like a Mini mountain: jagged rocks that slowly reached up to the top. Moss covered the slab, making it slimy, wet and cold. The pond itself was completely still, like everything else in this place, and reflected the tips of the trees to near perfection.

The man was panting, greedily gulping down oxygen and into his burning lungs. He knelt down at the edge of the pond, looking a mess in the mirror-like pool: His bright, amber eyes that were once warm and content were now cold and weary. His spiked salmon hair was matted in blood, dust and mud. Large bruises adored his left cheek and upper right eyebrow, a sickly purple in colour. His clothes were little more than rags that survived the trees onslaught and blistering cold; he was completely naked from the waist up, apart from a scaled scarf that hung loosely on the man's neck. The man was obviously very healthy, with strong arms and legs, chiselled abdominals and a firm jaw; he looked almost like a stereotypical model, if it wasn't for a large gash that went through his outer left calf.

He cupped his shaking hands, before slowly lowering them into the pool; ripples broke the surface. Seconds later the man lowered his head and brought his cupped hands to his lips, gulping the captured water down in one. It felt refreshingly cool on his parched mouth. He repeated it again, and again, gulping an equal amount of air in the intervals between drinking and lowering his hands. After his thirst was finally quenched he let his hands fall to his sides; a dribble of water fell down his chin, then his neck, and finally down his chest before it dropped onto the ground with a small dripping sound; shattering upon impact with the ground.

His breath finally evened out, yet the man made no attempt to stand from his kneeling position on the floor, all he did was stare aimlessly towards the night sky. His eyes seemed distant as he looked, almost as if he could see things others would not. Hours seemed to pass for the man, yet time was meaningless to him; it was just their as a countdown to death. It was just there to mock the poor, insolent souls that believed otherwise, those who believed they could cheat it. It was there to torment him, and only him. Giving him a small glimmering hope in a world full of death and pain and suffering; How bitter this world can be, and yet how utterly amazing, too.

Shrubbery nearby began to rustle, breaking the silent spell that'd been casted over the forest. Yet the man paid no heed to the sound; how could he? His immobile trance trapped him like a hunter would it's pray. Capturing it within its needle like teeth, making escape a futile plea of hope before its life finally ended. That's how the man felt now, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

The shrubbery began to rustle more violently, leaves graciously falling from their branches to land on the cold ground. The noise seemed to break the man from his trance, as he looked towards the bush with the same cold, lifeless eyes as before. His eyes met with another. Deep, almond shaped orbs that glowed a threatening gold. They pierced through his very essence, his soul, with a blazing lust for hunger; a blazing lust of him.

Slowly, almost tantalisingly, the being moved forward, emerging from the undergrowth. The man could see the being clearly in the moonlight. A wolf, with shiny, glass-like white fur. Strong, firm leg muscles clad in the ivory white fur, with a tail that swished to and fro in a sickeningly playful manner. Its ears on high alert, listening to even the faintest of sounds. A mouth wide open, filled with sharp, canine teeth that yearned for usage; Streams of grotesque saliva trailed its way down its chin and onto the floor, landing with a sickening splat.

The man disregarded the beast; knowing full well that it was going to kill him. But why would he care? It's not like he had anything to live for, all that he cared for was snatched away from right under him. He was simply a shadow of his older self; a vessel with nothing in it, nor any purpose for it.

Several other beasts joined the first, each with the same hungry, carnivorous eyes. The only thing that differed between the animals was the tone of their fur; some had a gray complexion that looked a sharp as steel, others had a majestic amber coat that shimmered slightly in the moonlight. It was clear that the first wolf was the alpha male; not only was it slightly larger than the others, but it clearly led the pack towards it's pray.

_So… I'm finally going to die…_ The man thought bitterly, turning away from the feral beasts to look towards the big, bright moon. Wind whistled past, ruffling the man's hair ever so slightly; by now the wolves were little more than a few metres away.

Time seemed to slow within the forest as the wolves pounced, using their backs legs as springs to propel themselves forward at tremendous speeds. It was like a cat leaping on an unsuspecting rodent, ready to tear its body apart limb by limb. The distance between the man and the majestic beasts was closing rapidly, yet the man still made no attempt to dodge; no attempt to live.

_Guess this is good-bye… Igneel…I'm Sorry…_

The wolves were quickly homing in on their pray; only half a metre or so away from the man, with their razor-like claws poised, ready to rip the flesh from his very bones. The man slowly closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

Until he felt it; the burning hot, and yet, at the same time, freezing cold sensation. It ran through his veins like oil through a tube, or like water down a river. The man's eyes shot opens as the sensation flowed through his body, pulsing through his arms and then to his fingers; through his legs and then to his feet. The feeling seemed to originate from his stomach as the impression was more potent in that area. It wasn't bad… so to say. It was just different. It felt... nice. A thudding sound filled the air at that moment; breaking the man from his gratuitous daze.

_What was that…? W-Why aren't I dead?_ He pondered, redirecting his gaze towards the cause. His eyes widened at the sight. The wolves that were about to attack had somehow fallen onto their side; like a dog when it's sleeping. But, for some reason, their mouths were still wide open; a puddle of foamy saliva gathering around the open body part. The man almost cringed at the sight, not because of the disgusting saliva gathering on the floor, or the horrific stench of blood and metal. It was their eyes that truly intimidated him. They had lost all emotion; they had become null and void, having no glimmer of life left within them. It was clear that the wolves had died, _but how?_ The man thought_, did it have something to do with that sensation? Or did something else kill them?_

The man shook his head, clearly confused by the strange turn of events. The man sighed, he felt sweaty and unclean, almost impure in a way. He decided that a bath would be a good idea; a way to clean his mind of all his uncertainties. So the man unslung the bag from his back and threw it on the cold, muddy ground. He then slowly changed his position so that his legs were dangling in the murky water with his arms holding his body weight either side of him. Gently, the man slowly eased himself into the pond, but not before discarding his rags. He winced ever so slightly as the water enveloped his injures. He then removed his hands from behind him and began to rub the grit and dried blood off his arms and legs; using his hands like a flannel.

Several minutes later he was clean. The man swam over to the rim of the pond, where his bag was, and hauled himself out of the pool. Said pool was now a dark and cloudy red instead of the shining black from before. A puddle of water formed at the rim, where the man was standing. Droplets of water glimmered as they fell from his tanned skin and damp hair. He leaned forward and picked up his rags, and began to dry himself off with them. He then walked over to his bag and violently opened it. The content of the bag wasn't that special: some clothes, a loaf of bread, two bottles of water, a few bandages and several, supposedly, silver coin placed in an air tight bag. The boy yanked the clothes and bandages out, aimlessly throwing his rags in the bag before closing it. He wrapped the bandages around his injured calf, wincing every time he wrapped the bandage slightly lower around the body part; he then put the clothes on.

He was now wearing a black hoodie with a white zipper that covered his tanned arms completely. Similar black shorts donned his legs, the bandages mostly hidden beneath the shorts. He had pulled his hood up, covering all but his bangs. He wore no shoes, showing off his cut and bruised, yet still muscular, legs.

The man set off again, walking towards the wall of branches hesitantly; he didn't want any more injuries on his already beaten and bloodied body, it'll just made him look feebler than he already was.

Pushing the crooked branches, the man continued his trek into the eternal darkness, not entirely sure where he would end up, but anywhere was better than _"that"_ place. He never wanted to return to _"that"_ place. A place where lies and empty promises layered the entire "friendship" of the people. A place where façades were the only true thing within its boundaries. A place where the people would toy with other people's feelings then, once they got bored, crush them with no remorse. A place where he thought he'd got his life back; how stupidly wrong he'd been.

How long he'd been walking, he didn't know. He knew he'd reached a pathway that sloped upwards, towards the mountains, and he knew that he'd follow the path without a single inch of hesitation. He knew that he was far away from any and all civilisation. But what he didn't know was that the pathway led to an opening, not to the mountains.

So there he was, standing in an opening, the personification of serenity in front of him: A beautiful, azure lake laid a metre or so in front of him. It was rather large with umber brown trees reaching towards it, trying to drink from the golden goblet of nectar. A small patch of ground speared into the lake slightly, with small tufts of luscious green grass sticking out of the ground, looking rather conspicuous. On the other side was a towering wall of granite, marking the end of the lake. Said lake was completely still, much like the small pond from before. To most this place would seem rather bleak or distressing, but to the man it was perfect.

_Such a beautifully depressing place…_ The man thought to himself as he stood by the jagged lakeshore, watching the celestial beings that were reflected in the water. The man sat down and tucked his right leg inwards, towards his torso; before hugging it slightly and leaning his right cheek against his knee cap. His other leg was outstretched in front of him, lying flat against the cold ground. A soft smile played on his face as sleep began to sway his conscience from reality; his eyes slowly closing.

The aura of tranquillity was slowly getting to him; the man let his sight fall to sleep and his other senses take over. He could hear the trees swaying in the wind and the crows squawking in the distance. He could feel the icy breeze nipping at his exposed skin. He could smell the scent of freshly fallen rain attacked his nose in a somehow refreshing manner. _I wish I could just fall to sleep here and never wake up… ._ The tranquillity of the place settled over him like a blanket over a sleeping child. Slowly, his conscience fell into an endless sleep as images and scenes from the past smothered him.

The man jolted awake, sweat dripping off his face. Seconds past… minutes… nothing happen. Until, slowly, the man slowly curled into a tight ball _why?! Why can't I just die?! _ He screamed in his head, _why can't I just disappear? It would be better for everyone if I just didn't exist!_ Unbeknownst to himself, tears began the well in his eyes, falling down to earth like an angel – beautifully ._ Why? Why? Why?! _

His monologue was cut short when a sensation traversed through his body again, the same one as before. Though this time, it was less potent; the sensation made his skin tingle slightly and his head feel fuzzy. Time seemed to stop within the opening as the sensation took over. But, as soon as the sensation had come, it had gone. _W-What the hell was that…?_ The man thought, removing his hands from his head and bringing them in front of him; they were shaking ever so slightly, from fear or confusion, he did not know.

Before the man could contemplate what the sensation was, a deep rumble reverberated from the ground. The water rippled slightly as he ground began to shake more viciously. The man could feel the strength in the quake; he could feel the power deep within the earth beginning to awaken.

Then it stopped. Everything was silence. The ripples quickly dying down; the lake returned back into it tranquil form. Thought it no longer felt safe or secure. Instead, it felt vulnerable. Although he couldn't see it, he could _feel_ another presence, hiding itself within the shadows. Lying…Waiting… Lurking.

The man whipped his head from left to right, looking for a possibly non-existent entity. Until he heard it. An ancient, demonised voice called from deep within the earth, making the very ground rumble.

_Do you wish to die, Natsu Dragneel? _The earth seemed to rumble even more, if that was even possible, making the Cerulean liquid slap against the granite rock face, spraying water everywhere. A watery crashing sound filled the air each time the waves slammed against the cliff. Natsu took a step back in shock – partially from the tremors and partially because it knew his name.

Before he could question the thing, it spoke again, using the same cold, influential voice. _Or do you wish to take revenge on those who took everything away from you?_ The words startled the man. He felt now longer scared, but instead more curious; his body slowly began to stop shaking.

Did he? Did he want revenge on those who took everything away from him? Who ruined his life with no remorse? Did he want them to feel was he's feeling? Useless? Void? The more he thought about it, the more he did. He wanted them to feel what he felt, and then he wanted them to die in the most excruciatingly way possible; he wanted his revenge to be as sweet as possible.

The voice seemed to read his mind as it spoke out once more, _I could help you…I could give you powers beyond belief… I could give you a new home… I could give you your sweet revenge… All you have to do is accept… _

It seemed too good to be true. Should he even trust this mysterious entity? For all he knew, the strange being could be tempting him in with empty promises, and then when he's dance in the palm of his hand, kill him brutally. But, then again, isn't that what he wanted? A surge of anger flushed through his body.

No; Not anymore. He wanted them to pay; all of them. How could he not? After all he'd done for them, this is how they repaid him? How dare they?! He didn't care whether or not the entity was telling the truth or not. He wanted revenge.

'Fine… what do I have to do?' The man called out; he felt rather stupid, calling out to something that he couldn't even see. A low, deep booming sound reverberate throughout the ground, it seemed as though the entity was laughing, though it was hard to tell. However, the man could tell that it obviously wasn't a carefree, happy laugh; either way, it made him cringe. _A wise choice..._The voice boomed, oozing with mockery of the cruellest kind.

Everything was silent for a second, before a low humming sound began to originate deep within the ground. The lake started to glow a dull blue colour. The humming sound gradually began to increase in dynamics and velocity. The wind gradually began to pick up and circle the lake, getting faster and faster by the second. By now the dull aquamarine coloured light had increase dramatically, lighting up the entire opening with its blinding light. The man was confused at the strange turn of events, but didn't question it, for the fear of losing this once in a lifetime opportunity to gain more power.

_Step into the light, human. And embrace it's awesome power._ The voice commanded. But, unlike before, it seemed more distance, like it was further away; beforehand, it seemed as though the voice was originating within the ground below him. But now it seemed as though it was originating within the air, or to be exact, the blinding light.

The man was hesitant, though. He could sense the phenomenal amount of magical power within the confounds of the light. What if it was too much? What if he died? _No! I can't think like that! I will not die! I will get stronger, and then I'll take my revenge! _ Without thinking of the consequences, the man ran forward and leaped into the sea of light. He was expecting a splashing sound when he came into contact with the water; but nothing. It was like the liquid wasn't their anymore; it enveloped the man completely, sending strange sensation through his body. The sensation was like when you hit your funny bone and it feels like lead, but it sends strange tingles up and down your arm. Even though the man's eyes were closed, he could still tell that the light had increased in power once again. It was blinding, even though his eyes were closed. It burnt so much, like when you get an electric shock.

The light entered the man's body, though it felt extremely uncomfortable; like when you have an itch and you can't scratch it, or when you're lying in an awkward position and you can't move from it. But there was another sensation that followed; it feeling something was leaving his body.

Minutes passed before both the sensations, and the light, stopped; yet he didn't dare open his eyes. All that followed was the cold, which was strange because he normally never felt it. He'd guessed what it felt like; and he'd experienced it once or twice as a small child, but apart from that, he'd hardly ever experienced it. A wave of panic struck his body, _W-What the hell did that light do to me? I shouldn't be able to feel the cold, so why?_ The man tried to open his eyes, but to no avail. His body felt like lead, his head felt dizzy and tired and the urge to puck was uncanny. _Urgh... N-No… I w-won't go t-to s-sleep… _The man kept on telling himself this, but his body's plea was too difficult to ignore. Eventually, the man succumbed to sleep's choking grasp.

'H-Hey, are you alright?'

Slowly, the man's eyes began to crake open, taking in his surroundings. He was still in the opening, but it was hardly noticeable now: The once bared, dry ground was now covered in grass, with all manners of flowers, herbs and plants dotted around. The once bare and decrepit trees were now bursting with life, luscious, green leaves bushing out of the branches, buds blooming here and there. The lake was no longer a deep azure colour; instead it was a beautiful cyan blue.

The man was aching all over. He felt a largish hand place on his right shoulder, shaking him slightly. He turned to look at the owner. There was man, about the same age as him, with deep, sea green eyes. He had unruly, dark brown hair that stopped slightly below his ears. He donned a simple, white v-shirt with the sleeves pushed back to his elbows, some dark washed jeans that hung loosely around his hips, pulled down ever so slightly to show a strip of his red boxers and a basic, leather belt. His feet were completely bare for some reason, much like his own. He was rather skinny with an average skin tone. The man was crouching down behind him with a curious look on his face.

'Finally your awake, I was getting worried for a second; didn't know this was such a great place to sleep'

'Um… I'm Natsu, nice to meet you… _I guess_.' Natsu replied, muttering the last few words.

'Well, It nice to meet you Natsu; I'm Alex. I assume you're looking for Mortal Haven; why else would you be here'

_Mortal Haven?_ Natsu thought, _what's that - some kind of guild?_ Unsure of how to respond, Natsu decided to just go along with it; he had no-where to go and nothing to lose, what could possibly go wrong.

'Yeah, I'm here to join… um… Moral Heaven?' Natsu said, unsure of whether he said the name right or not (Judging by the look Alex gave him, he assumed not)

'It's Mortal Haven, not Moral Heaven; why would you call a guild that? Anyway, I guess you should come with me if you wanna join' Alex sighed, turning around to walking off in the opposite direction. But after several seconds he turned around to look behind him.

'By the way, is that yours?' He questioned, pointing towards on object lying on the ground.

Natsu followed to where Alex was pointing at. Lying there, in the grass, was a Japanese long sword. It was beautiful, in his opinion. The hilt was seemingly made out of rich mahogany, with a beautiful, swirl design etched onto one side of the hilt. A simple disc separated the base of the sword from the hilt, perpendicular to both with outstanding, block-like swirls. The blade itself was sheathed in a simple, zircon blue sheath, the words 'Arch Angel' etched into one side.

Natsu was about to say no, that it wasn't his sword, until a chilling voice whispered in his ear, _Take it… This is my gift to you, along with all the secrets that gravity holds_. It took several seconds for the voice to click in Natsu's head; probably because he was still slightly woozy from the whole metamorphosis thing. Natsu tried not the cringe at the cruelty in the voice, but in futility.

Alex seemed to notice his discomfort and turned to face him head on. 'hey, are you alright?' he questioned.

Natsu completely ignored Alex, continuing to look at the long sword with longing eyes. He cautiously taking a step towards it. Then another, and another - before long he was looming over it. Kneeling down beside it, Natsu slowly took the long sword into his grasp. As he did so, he couldn't help but notice how well it sat in the palm of his hand; looking and feeling so natural to him.

Alex took another step forward, a little more urgent this time, and tapped him on the shoulder. Natsu jumped at the contact, before looking Alex straight in the eye; they pleaded a silent question, asking him words that didn't need to be spoken. Natsu smiled slightly, shaking his head.

'Yeah… everything's fine.'

* * *

**Soooo... How was it? Good? Bad? Continue? Don't continue? Give up and continue with the original? Please tell me! I'm sorry if the ending was really bad, I just really wanted to get the prologue over and done with; starting stories isn't my strong point. Anyway, please Favourite, Follow and/or Review if you want. Oh, and constructive criticism is always obliged; I don't take offence easily :D**


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